A charter was granted in the name of The Farmers Bank and Trust Company on August 6, 1904 by the Superintendent of Banks of the State of Ohio. The Bank was organized on Court Street and it was opened to the public for business on December 4, 1904. In 1921 the name “Trust” was replaced by the word “Savings” in the name of the Bank. The Bank had steady growth from the beginning and reached the first million in deposits in 1943.
In 1963, plans were made for the construction of a new facility. In 1965 the property between Second Street to Main Street was purchased and seven buildings were torn down; in 1967, plans for the new facility were approved and in 1968 construction began on what was to become the future “home” of the Farmers Bank. The location of the bank remained on Court Street until it moved to its present location at 211 West Second Street, Pomeroy, Ohio, on April 1, 1969.
On August 30, 1985, a one-bank holding company was formed known as Farmers Bancshares, Inc.
In May, 1987, the Farmers Bank acquired, through purchase, the Tuppers Plains Branch of BankOne. This purchase represented the first branch of the Farmers Bank and enabled us to better serve the needs of Meigs County. In 1995, the Farmers Bank purchased a lot on Upper River Road, Gallipolis, built an office and began serving Gallia County.
On March 25, 2003, the Mason, West Virginia, branch was opened which was the first branch of the West Virginia Division. On May 11, 2006, the Point Pleasant Branch was opened for business. Beginning in February 2017, Farmers Bank expanded to a new market in Teays Valley, Putnam County, West Virginia with the opening of a temporary building and a move to the permanent location on 3572 Teays Valley Road on May 1, 2018. The full array of Farmers Bank services is available to the Teays Valley community, including a full-service lobby and drive through, and the spacious community room available for civic, business, and individual groups use, as availability permits.
In October of 2011, Farmers Bank started building its newest addition at 640 East Main Street in Pomeroy. On July 16th, 2012, the two-story building opened for business. The 211 West Second Street location, which previously housed the Pomeroy retail business, was renovated and now houses the Corporate Headquarters.
Farmers Bank is the oldest independently owned financial institution in Meigs County. To date, the bank has over 80 employees located at seven locations throughout the Ohio Valley as well as several ATMs to serve the Bank’s customers. We are excited about the future and the service that we provide to our communities – not only through bank-related services but through community service by our employees and volunteers.
